Espn Fondly Recalls `83 Australian Victory

January 12, 1992|By CRAIG DAVIS, Senior Writer

Sept. 26, 1983. The date is the most monumental in the history of the America`s Cup, and one of the most notable in the annals of ESPN.

That was the day the challenger Australia II defeated Dennis Conner`s Liberty in the seventh race of the America`s Cup final, ending the United States` 132- year hold on the trophy. In the course of a dramatic Monday afternoon off Newport, R.I., ESPN became the network of the sailors.

The plan had been to provide periodic live updates of the decisive race. But after a flood of viewer calls, ESPN officials decided to alter course from scheduled programming and stay with the race. The result was record ratings for a weekday afternoon for the cable sports authority.

``It was quite a phenomenon, really one of the first times ESPN got national attention,`` said Dave Nagle, a spokesman for the network. ``It was the first and only time in our history that we went away from scheduled programming for an extensive period to cover a news event.``

From that uncharted beginning, ESPN is about to embark on one of its most ambitious projects with more than 125 hours of coverage of the 1992 America`s Cup. That includes some 100 hours of live race action, beginning during the fourth round of the trials in March.

In addition, the Cup will make its first appearance on one of the big-three networks when ABC televises the first race of the final series May 9.

But it is on cable that the Cup has found a bridge from the sea to living rooms coast to coast. For ESPN, it has become a signature event. ESPN`s coverage of the 1986-87 Cup in Australia earned 15 awards.

``To me, our coverage of the Cup from Australia was a quintessential moment for ESPN because we delivered on our promise, and really the promise of all cable TV, to do more and to do it differently,`` ESPN President Steven Bornstein said.

It was a notable undertaking. Not only was the competition miles from shore, the ocean was halfway around the world from ESPN`s Bristol, Conn., headquarters. Even though the races from Australia were broadcast after midnight in the U.S., Americans tuned in in surprising numbers to track Conner`s quest to win back the Cup. ESPN`s ratings were seven times the average for late-night programming.

This time the races are off San Diego, but television`s task is still daunting.

``Covering a sailing event wherever it is involves all sorts of logistical problems. It`s not like wiring a basketball court. You have to beam the signals to shore,`` Nagle said.

The most memorable pictures from Australia were the onboard shots showing the crews at work. Movable cameras on the boats will again be central to the telecasts.

Until live race coverage begins in late March, ESPN will have weekly half- hour updates on the Cup. The upcoming schedule: